It’s been 10 years since Michael Pollan published his book, “In Defense of Food,” with the mantra, “eat food, not too much, mostly plants,” for improved health. How has the western diet changed since then? For one, Whole Foods has a meatless phenom in its TTLA sandwich with tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce and avocado. In… continue »

“Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now,” sing the Schuyler sisters in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton.” They seem to sum up the optimism that Americans have for themselves in reflecting on 2018 and entering 2019. It’s a buoyant way to look at the past year’s trip around the sun,… continue »

There are some guests during the holidays that people welcome with trepidation. It used to be the in-laws or someone’s new significant other. Increasingly though, it’s a visitor’s pet. As Americans have elevated pets to human status, they want to bring their (usually) hairy extended family along for the holidays. One in three pet owners… continue »

In the last decade, Black Friday has become a global retail phenomenon stretching to China and India. But back in the U.S. where it began, it’s not the retail holiday bonus it once was. Shoppers are turning online for the doorbuster deals they used to camp out at the mall to snare. Some stores have… continue »

Starbucks was playing Christmas music as early as last weekend and Home Depot displayed decked out trees before that. The holiday season that drives the nation’s economy is here. With it comes all manner of dinners, parties and other festivities, starting with Thanksgiving next week. And there’s no one who looks forward to entertaining more… continue »

For years, when shoppers checked out their purchases at physical stores, the payment options were cash, check or plastic. That changed in 2011, when Starbucks launched its mobile payment app for caffeine fiends to pay at the register. Using mobile to pay at the register is promising way to replace cash, improve security, and directly… continue »

Society gets many things wrong about Millennials. One persistent myth is they are the generation of entrepreneurs and their role model is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. But people born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s show something different, according to a new Ipsos entrepreneurship survey. Globally, just 14 percent of Millennials on average have started… continue »

There comes a time when homeowners grow tired of their outdated bathrooms, inefficient kitchens or lack of a first-floor guestroom. It happens a lot before the holiday entertainment season. The question becomes, do you update or move? Across America, people would rather stay and upgrade their current home than move, according to a new Ipsos… continue »

Art may “wash from the soul the dust of everyday life,” as artist Pablo Picasso once said. But it’s also good for business. Americans are as engaged in artistic pursuits as ever as, according to a recent Ipsos poll on behalf of Americans for the Arts. It revealed that 72 percent of American adults say they attended… continue »

Famed anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” However, in a world where most people believe that the system is broken, is that still the case? The short answer: maybe, but only some young people… continue »

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This issue is focused on a fourth key sector: food. Specifically, we have conversations with the difference-makers about how our food gets to us, where that food comes from today and will come from tomorrow. Read WTF: Food »

Each quarter, GenPop asks What the Future about a different key area of our economy: Housing, Mobility, Health and Food. Read Previous WTF Issues »

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